Ground melon seed cooked down in palm oil with assorted meats and leafy greens until it thickens into something rich and slightly nutty. Served with a soft mound of poundo or eba, because egusi is a soup you eat with your hands.
Egusi gets its body from ground melon seed rather than flour or starch. Cooked properly the seed swells and separates into soft curds through the sauce, which is what gives the soup its texture. Rush it and you get a paste; give it time and you get the real thing.
Ours goes in with assorted meats, palm oil, ground crayfish, pepper and greens, and is left to simmer until the oil rises. It is one of the dishes guests tell us reminds them of a family kitchen — which is the only review that really matters for a soup like this.
Melon seed is ground and added in stages so it curds rather than dissolving, then the pot is left to simmer until the palm oil separates and rises. Choose your swallow — poundo yam or eba (garri) — and we pack it separately so it stays soft on the way to you.
Find egusi at Lagos Flavors on 111 Street NW, minutes from Downtown Edmonton, Central McDougall, Oliver and Westmount. Dine in, order ahead for pickup, or have it delivered across central Edmonton. Browse the full Nigerian menu, or compare it with our okra soup and goat meat pepper soup.
Verified Google review
“Lagos Flavors feels like home. Authentic taste, great music, and a relaxed vibe. Everything came out hot and fresh, and the staff were lovely.”
Verified Google review
“Amazing Nigerian food in Edmonton! The jollof rice and suya were full of flavor, and the portions were generous. Staff were welcoming and took time to explain the menu to us. We’ll definitely be back.”
Verified Google review
“We ordered online for pickup and the experience was smooth. Food was ready on time and packaged well. The weekend specials are a must-try if you want something different.”
Order egusi soup for dine-in, pickup or delivery at 10514 111 Street NW in Queen Mary Park, central Edmonton.